This is a guide on how the new weapon upgrade system works in Final Fantasy 7 Remake (FF7R) and the Intergrade PS5 Upgrade. If you are confused about weapon levels, how to use SP, or how to reset your weapon's skills, keep reading!
List of Contents
New to the remake, you can spend skill points (SP) to unlock a variety of Upgrades on the Cores of each weapon. Depending on the weapon, the choices of Upgrades is different, so you can choose to go with Magic or Physical-centered Weapons based on your playstyle.
SP is obtained through Leveling Up, or via Manuscripts found through various means as you play the game. You'll need Manuscripts to reach Weapon Level 6, so be sure to hunt them down!
Method | SP Gain |
---|---|
Leveling Up | Manuscript |
5 SP | 10 SP |
As SP is independent for each weapon, do not be afraid to spend as much as you can to increase their power.
Every character has what's called a Weapon Level, and as it increases, you will unlock Sub-Cores containing more skills to unlock to keep powering up your weapons.
As you get more SP from leveling or books, your Weapon Level will also increase. Each time a character levels up, they will gain 5 SP, however this will not be enough to reach the max Weapon Level of 6, so collecting Manuscripts is necessary.
Manuscript Guide | Manuscript List and Locations
To unlock Weapon Level 6 for each of a character's weapons, you'll need that character's SP to hit 250. Each character can reach up to 216 SP by leveling up; after that, they'll need Manuscripts to gain more SP.
Only 3 Manuscripts per character are available on Classic, Easy, or Norrmal Mode – to unlock the other 11 Manuscripts for each character, you'll need to challenge Hard Mode, which is unlocked after finishing the main story once.
As 3 Manuscripts will yield a maximum of 246 SP, you must play Hard Mode at least to some extent to unlock Weapon Level 6. Be sure to check out our exhaustive Hard Mode Guide to learn everything you should know first before jumping in!
Each weapon comes with its own weapon ability that can be used as long as the weapon is equipped. However, these weapon abilities can be learned permanently if you max out their proficiency. To earn proficiency, you must use the skill in battle. Each use will grant 10% to the proficiency bar.
Each weapon also has a proficiency bonus that, when fulfilled, gives a larger 30% boost to proficiency. Take advantage of these to quickly learn each weapon ability!
Weapon | Ability | Ability Description | Proficiency Bonus |
---|---|---|---|
Buster Sword | Focused Thrust | Lunge toward an enemy with a piercing strike that hits multiple times. Significantly increases stagger. | --- |
Iron Blade | Triple Slash | Slash three enemies in quick succession, dealing more damage with each blow. | Strike three or more enemies. |
Nail Bat | Disorder | Deliver a devastating attack and switch modes in one fluid motion. | Strike with Attack or Strong Attack after switching modes. |
Hardedge | Infinity's End | Wind up and unleash an overhead strike. Increased damage on stagger. Costs 2 ATB. | Strike a staggered enemy. |
Mythril Saber | Blade Burst | Unleash a wave of non-elemental mako energy at an enemy in front of you with a slash of your sword. | Finish off an enemy. |
Twin Stinger | Counterstance | Brace for attacks and retaliate with a powerful slash. | Unleash a counterattack. |
Weapon | Ability | Ability Description | Proficiency Bonus |
---|---|---|---|
Gatling Gun | Focused Shot | Consume all ATB charges to unleash a concentrated burst of energy. Significantly increases stagger. | Stagger an enemy. |
Light Machine Gun | Lifesaver | Take damage intended for other party members. | Restore an ally's HP (one time only during activation). |
Big Bertha | Maximum Fury | Consume all ATB charges to fire a long stream of bullets at an enemy. | Finish off an enemy. |
Steel Pincers | Charging Uppercut | Rush toward an enemy and launch them into the air with a furious blow. Increases Charge. | Top up energy reserve. |
Wrecking Ball | Smackdown | Strike the ground and send nearby enemies flying. | Strike three or more enemies. |
EKG Cannon | Point Blank | Consume all ATB charges to deliver a close-range attack and send enemies flying. | Finish off an enemy. |
Weapon | Ability | Ability Description | Proficiency Bonus |
---|---|---|---|
Leather Gloves | Dive Kick | Leap into the air and unleash a powerful kick | Finish off an enemy. |
Metal Knuckles | Overpower | Used in conjunction with basic attacks to effectively pressure enemies. | Follow up with a basic attack combo after using the weapon ability. |
Sonic Strikers | Focused Strike | Evade, then unleash a charging attack. Moderately increases stagger. | Stagger an enemy. |
Feathered Gloves | Starshower | Unleash a flurry of powerful strikes. Increases strength of command executed. | Follow up with offensive ability or magic after using the weapon ability. |
Mythril Claws | Chi Trap | Create an orb of materialized chi that deals damage on contact. | Strike an enemy. |
Purple Pain | True Strike | Deliver a tremendous blow at close range. Increased stagger damage bonus. | Strike a staggered enemy. |
Weapon | Ability | Ability Description | Proficiency Bonus |
---|---|---|---|
Guard Stick | Arcane Wand | Conjure a ward. Attack spells cast within the ward will be automatically cast twice. | Conjure a ward (one time only during activation) |
Silver Staff | Sorcerous Storm | Deal magic damage to nearby enemies. | Strike three or more enemies. |
Arcane Scepter | Fleeting Familiar | Summon a fairy that attacks your enemies periodically as well as after you use abilities and spells. | Unleash a consecutive attack of an ability or spell (one time only during activation). |
Mythril Rod | Ray of Judgement | Fire an energy burst that hits multiple times. Increased stagger damage bonus. Costs 2 ATB. | Strike a staggered enemy. |
Bladed Staff | Lustrous Shield | Conjure a magical shield that keeps enemies at bay and stops projectiles. | Strike an enemy (one time only during activation). |
Reinforced Staff | ATB Ward | Conjure a magical ward. Allies who use ATB within it regain partial ATB from your gauge. Costs 2 ATB. | Conjure a ward (one time only during activation) |
Weapon | Ability | Ability Description | Proficiency Bonus |
---|---|---|---|
4-Point Shuriken | Elemental Ninjutsu | Set an element to enhance and use for ninjutsu attacks. | Exploit an enemy's weakness with an elemental ninjutsu attack. |
Boomerang | Brumal Form | Evade an attack. ATB increases when successful. Can use while airborne. | Evade an enemy attack. |
Steel Reaper | Banishment | ATB spent on other commands increases damage dealt. Affinity changes with ninjutsu. Works in the air. | Strike an enemy with maximum strength while this weapon is at Lv. III. |
Cacstar | Cactuar Caper | Let the shuriken run around, mowing down all enemies it touches. Can use while airborne. | Strike three or more enemies. |
Weapon | Ability | Ability Description | Proficiency Bonus |
---|---|---|---|
Marshalist's Staff | Swirling Storm | Strike a foe myriad times, dealing a large amount of damage. | Finish off an enemy. |
Indurate Staff | Fighting Spirit | Continue targeting a single enemy to deal increased damage. | Finish off an enemy while this ability is active. |
Djinn Staff | Incite | Draw the attention of a weak foe until Yuffie deals it a certain amount of damage. | Draw an enemy's attention for three attacks while this ability is active. |
Aside from their usefulness in battle, acquiring 16 weapon abilities will complete Battle Intel Report 17 and get you the Skill Master Materia.
Those on the hunt for the Platinum and other completionist challenges will also want to acquire every weapon ability to earn the Weapons Expert trophy.
If you speak to Chadley and select Reset Upgrades, you can spend 100 Gil to regain all of the SP for a weapon and redo your upgrades. This can be done repeatedly whenever Chadley is around, so don't be afraid to try out different upgrade combinations!
I'm curious about the statement "Finish off an enemy" for Mythril Saber bonus. What do you mean? I can finish off an enemy with one hit? Is that how it works?
Weapon Upgrade Guide | How to Learn Weapon Abilities (Intergrade Updated)
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They mean that you have to finish off enemies using the weapon's skill. The amount of enemies to slay depends on each weapon proficiency.